Triazolam is a short-acting benzodiazepine used as a hypnotic agent in the treatment of insomnia. Some countries temporarily withdrew triazolam from the market because of concerns about adverse reactions, mostly psychological, associated with higher dose ranges. Its use at lower doses with appropriate care and labeling has been reaffirmed by the FDA and most other countries. Triazolam has a shorter half-life than chlordiazepoxide, flurazepam, and prazepam and does not generate active metabolites. Benzodiazepines bind nonspecifically to bezodiazepine receptors BNZ1, which mediates sleep, and BNZ2, which affects affects muscle relaxation, anticonvulsant activity, motor coordination, and memory. As benzodiazepine receptors are thought to be coupled to gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors, this enhances the effects of GABA by increasing GABA affinity for the GABA receptor. Binding of GABA to the site opens the chloride channel, resulting in a hyperpolarized cell membrane that prevents further excitation of the cell. Triazolam is used for the short-term treatment of insomnia. Triazolam`s original brand name is Halcion. Triazolam is withdrawn in the United Kingdom due to risk of psychiatric adverse drug reactions. This drug continues to be available in the U.S. Internationally, triazolam is a Schedule IV drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

a-Hydroxytriazolam is a major urinary and blood metabolite of the benzodiazepine, triazolam, a pharmaceutical used to treat severe insomnia. It is suitable for use in LC/MS or GC/MS applications for clinical toxicology, forensic analysis, urine drug testing, or pharmaceutical research. Triazolam is a triazolobenzodiazepine with hypnotic properties, advocated for use in acute or chronic insomnia, situational insomnia in hospitalised patients, and insomnia associated with other disease states. As triazolam has a relatively short half-life of about 2 to 3 hours in healthy subjects and has only 1 short acting active metabolite, alpha-hydroxytriazolam. a-Hydroxytriazolam is reported to have 50 to 100 % of the pharmacological activity of the parent compound. Triazolam (marketed in English-speaking countries under the brand names Apo-Triazo, Halcion, Hypam, and Trilam) is a benzodiazepine drug. It possesses pharmacological properties similar to that of other benzodiazepines, but it is generally only used as a sedative to treat severe insomnia. In addition to the hypnotic properties triazolam possesses, amnesic, anxiolytic, sedative, anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant properties are also present.